K-pop group BTS will release their fifth full-length album on March 20 at midnight ET, marking their return after members completed mandatory military service in South Korea.
The group will also launch a world tour to support the new album, with dates and venues to be announced on January 14 at midnight Korean Standard Time.
HYBE said this marks the first large-scale tour for BTS in about four years since BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE, which ended in a Las Vegas show in April 2022.
BTS members worked on the 14-track album during the second half of 2025, according to the announcement.
The group first revealed plans for a new album and a world tour during a live stream on superfan platform Weverse on July 1, 2025. Their announcement confirmed reports published in June about a March 2026 return for the group.
During that livestream, the group revealed that all members will head to the United States to begin working on new music.
The comeback follows a period of solo activities for some BTS members while others fulfilled South Korea’s compulsory military service requirements. RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook have all completed their service obligations, allowing them to resume group activities.
BTS sent handwritten letters to their fandom through Weverse ahead of the announcement. The handwritten letters, penned by each BTS member, were delivered directly to fans’ homes. Members without active Weverse subscriptions will receive digital copies of the letters by the end of January.
The group wiped their official Instagram account at midnight on January 1, removing all previous content, sparking curiosity and speculation among fans globally.
BTS debuted in 2013. Since 2020, the group has scored six No.1 Billboard Hot 100 singles and performed multiple sold-out stadium shows across the world.
The group was also named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year 2020. BTS are five-time Grammy nominees (63rd to 65th GRAMMY Awards) and have been recognized with numerous awards like the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards (Artist of the Year 2021) and MTV Video Music Awards.
Prior to their hiatus in 2022, the group was HYBE’s top revenue generator and were also the world’s biggest recorded music artists in 2021 and 2020, according to IFPI.
With the group’s absence, HYBE’s operating profit dropped 37.5% YoY to KRW 184.82 billion ($135.55 million) in FY 2024, which the company attributed to, among other factors, “BTS‘ temporary break.”
Most recently in November, HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee said the company expects “full-scale improvement” of its revenue structure starting in 2026. The executive said: “This recovery will be anchored by BTS’ return as a group, the accelerated growth of K-pop artists, further results from our ‘multi-home, multi-genre’ strategy, and stable profitability from Weverse.”
HYBE reported its strongest-ever quarterly revenue performance for Q3 2025. The company’s Q3 revenues grew 37.8% YoY to hit 727.2 billion South Korean won, which converts to USD $524.7 million at the average exchange for the quarter.
In November, Seon Jeong Shin, President of HYBE’s flagship record label BIGHIT MUSIC, home to BTS, discussed the group’s return as part of an MBW World Leaders series interview.
“The unprecedented anticipation for BTS coming back as a full group is something we’re deeply aware of,” she told us. “We see it as a positive sign that their music and stories continue to resonate powerfully with fans around the world.”Music Business Worldwide
